SHIPPING LOSSES

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21194, 17 August 1940, Page 7

SHIPPING LOSSES

MORE GERMAN UNTRUTHS ABSURD CLAIMS MADE (Official Wireless) (Received August 17, 11 a.m.) • RUGBY, Aug. 16 According to German and Italian propaganda the British Fleet, compared with its strength at the beginning of the war, consists of only thirty destroyers and six submarines. The remainder of the Navy, even after making generous allowance for vessels claimed to have been “ seriously damaged,” not only has ceased to exist but has become a minus quantity. Thus the enemy claim to have “ sunk or seriously damaged ” 17 j more battleships than Britain ac- | tually possessed at the outbreak of the war, three more aircraft-car-riers and 21 more cruisers. In fact, the enemy has succeeded in sinking one battleship, two aircraft-carriers, three cruisers, 28 destroyers and 13 submarines. The enemy claims relating to mercantile losses are equally exaggerated. According to a German and Italian official communique 5,078,038 tons of “ shipping belonging to the Allies or useful to the Allies have “ been sunk between the outbreak and August 4. This is just over twice the aggregate tonnage actually lost through enemy action. Up to August 4 1,340,004 tons of British shipping losses, 436,033 tons of Allied. and 738,162 tons of neutral ship- ! ping have been sunk by enemy ac- : lion. | This loss has been more than made ; up by captures from the enemy and j new building and excluding the Dan- ! ish and French ships, flag transfers. A}, the outbreak of the war the British Empire merchant fleets con- | sisted of 18.500.000 tons of seaI going shipping and Allied tonnage ! amounted to between 6,000,000 and 7,000,000 tuns.